I was out at the slip this morning and two friends came back in from running there jug lines from last night. They said the water temp on Mother Hubbard read 38 degrees this morning. We have been fishing Hubbard for many years and that's the coldest I ever remember it and they said so too. Dead shad and floating shad are every where. The fish and birds are having a field day. I wonder how this major die off will affect the rest of the year? Pat

WOW !!! 38 degrees I believe it How do you catch fish when it is that cold ?

Dynamite and electric shock. LOL

The dying shad is not good but their reproduction ratio is high. We will just have to wait and see.

38 YIKES! Several days of freezing temps and rain did it! Thanks for the update Pat. I may convert to catfish or crappie soon if this crazy weather keeps up. Can you pray harder for us Frank cuz I miss catching sandies and hybrids?

Fish still bite on 100 degree days, no complaints here. But this long many artic fronts winter really suck!!!

Few years back there was a major shad die off on Hubbard and fishing during that die off was very very very poor. There was just so much dead and dying shad for the fish to eat all they had to do was just open their mouths and swim a few feet and they were full. I even recall one Bass tournament during that time period where not one single fish was weighed in or even caught (first time I have ever seen such a thing). Once the shad stopped dying as the water warmed up it made for some of the best bass fishing I have ever seen on that lake. Obviously the lower number of shad made it harder for them to get a meal and made catching them much easier. I am sure the same would be true for the Sandies and Hybrids as well. I just hope we get some dang rain pretty darn soon or I might never know how good the fishing is going to be this year!

I have one of the deeper slips in Harbor Bay and I am about 6 to 7 feet right now. The elevation and cold water has all but driven the fish out of our marina.

Man I can't wait for some good weather and fishing. It's been way too long.

I went out on Sunday the main lake is 40 degrees and is covered in birds feeding on dying shad. It's the most pelicans I have ever seen on hubbard. Oh yea never even had a bite. I also taked to a cat fisherman and he said the same thing. I suspect it will be a few weeks before we get through this problem.

OMG We are definetly having a winter.. Sick of it.

I am just N of Tawakoni and its sure cold out this AM, my cows are eating up to 300% more is this weather.

I love hubbard, but last years fishing wasn't what i'd seen in the past. It seemed TO ME that the fished weren't as active. We did get some on board, but wasn't what i expected. i'm hoping the fishing gets better out there at Hubbard!

Hopefully the fish are just as tired of this weather as we are and as the water warms will make them bite and bite hard.

Yea !!!! The Sun is out Should get water temp up to about 44

For most of us last year was a banner year...We could go out and tap and catch fish pretty much every time out. Not so this year. I'll just say this. When the fishing gets tough at Tawakoni it's a tough winter. Matt Carthwright told us recently 50 degrees is the temp we need. Also saw on the news recently we've had like (36) nights below freezing. Having fished Hubbard since the dinosaurs roamed near here this is only the 2nd year I watched the marina ice over! Here is something I found on shad:

"Gull watchers love shad die offs. It seems certain species of shad are affected by water temperature. Studies on these fish, especially Gizzard Shad, show that they cannot metabolize fat below a water temp of 39 degrees.
The dead shad have fat reserves on their bodies but it is useless to them in that state. Like birds in migration that run out of fat reserves, their bodies look for energy in other areas such as muscle tissue and internal organs such as kidneys, livers, etc. The only way shad can make it through these periods is to utilize their organs for basal metabolism. Those shad washed up on the shore would show signs in these organs of emaciation but have fat layers on their bodies. "

But like Gene said they multiply rapidly. In a way if there is less shad the better chances we have of slabs getting nailed this Spring. Forecast for long term is looking good. Get ready!

I like the positive outlook frank! I can't wait!